Traction-increasing mechanism.



`N'."816,505. PATENTE!) MAR. 27, 1906.

1:". L. SHELDON.

TRACTIN INCREASING MEGHANISM.

PPLIGATIQN rILBD 56.11, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

y /N N A vgjfrf WITH/8858:

PATBNTBD MAR. 2?, 1906.

F. L. SHBLDON. TRACTION INCREASING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. i1. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Y weight from oil' the FRED L. SHXLDON` OF TACOM A, VVASHI NGTON.

TRAOTlON-INCREASlNG NIECHANISM.

Application filed August vSpecifcation of Letters Patent.

11,1905. Serial No. $3,802,

Patented March 27, 190B;

To all whom] it may concern:

Be it known that I, Faso L. Simpson, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State oi Washington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction-IncreasingMechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it opper tains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in meansfor taking approximately all of the weight effen engine ofi' thepony-trucks and placing it upon the drive-wheels. t.; Y i One of theseveral objects of the invention is the provisionbf means forfacilitating the removal of all of the weight possible frein ofi' theony-trucks and placing the saine upon 'the drive-Wheels during such timeas an cnine is climbing a grade or starting a heavy lgoad. Under suchcircumstances it is very natural for the wheels of an engine to slipland the additional weight supported by the ony truck will diminish thistendency` Again, the track upon which an engine is running may be rougby reason of depressions formed therein, or the track may be raised. Inother instances the rails may be and are in many cases so arranged thatone end of a rail is raised a little above the adjoining end of theother rail. An engine running at a slow speed under such circumstancesor attempting to pull a heavy load striking such a place is thrown ofiits balance, and the weight-balances change. This starts slip ing of thedrivers, and it requires considera le time for an engine to adjustitself to perform the werk for which it was intended. q

Therefore another obiect is the provision of means for facilitating theraising of the orly-trucks at intervals and placing it upon t edrive-wheels-that is to say, when an engine is pulling a heavy load orclimbing a grade, and it is then aise that se engine needs to can hugthe track closely and so that a jar from front or rear will not throw itfrom its balance.

A further object of vision of means for removing approximately all ofthe weight which is supported upon the pony-trucks off the saine andplacin it upon the drivewheels of an engine in W 'ch the boiler is notdirectly supported upon the the invention is the pro-Y be steady, sothat itV eey-trucks, but is carried by a line of equal-A izers andradins bars or levers and sprin With these and other 0b jects in viewlise in= vention consists of certain other novel cone strnctionscombinations, and arrangements of parte, as will be hereinafterullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drsvvin si and moreparticularly pointed ont yin t e claims hereto appended.

in the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of an engineprovided with s rneche anisin constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, the runningegear of said engine and my improved mec ianismbeing partly shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the frame,the pony trucks, and drive-Wheels, as well as my im roved mechanism forraising the weig t o of the on trucks and placing it upon saiddrive-wheels. Fig. 3 is a front view, in elevation', of the mechanismdepicted in Fig. 1, a part of my invention being shown in transversesection. Fig. 4 is a vertical fragmentary sectional'view of themechanism, showing one of the cylinders, a piston mounted therein, andconnectlevers of the mechanism.

Referring to the drawings erence, G designates a horizontal frame, whichY carries the cab G and the boiler G. A. brecing and supporting member Gis secured to the front end of the boiler Gr2 G. Depending from boilerG2, near its front end, is a standard G". The frame G is supported uponthe horizontal portions or saddles J of the drive-wheel boxes J J'. Uponthe forward end of the frame G is secured a transversebcarn J2, uponwhich is mounted atransverse plete H. Brackets R are secured to aportion of the boiler. Brackets R* are secured tothe frame G.

Pivotally secured to the lower portion of the standard G* is a forwardor main lever E. A pair of intermediate levers E are secured te thebrackets Rear or asxiliary levers El are pivotally secured to thebrackets R. V preierabl position parallel springs M and M upon t esaddles J of the drive-wheel trucks J and these springs M and M areconnected to the levers E and Ez by means of hanger bars or members N.it is to be n oted that I preferabl employ only one main or rimary leverwhich is connected to the orward han er members N throu h the medium ofthe orizonta rod or sha O. The forward hanger members N are eachprovided by letters of ref-VY ing means for securing the same to one ofthe and the traine IDO IIO

disassembled with the levers.

with an eye at its lower end, in which the rod is positioned. The upperends of the forward han Yer members N are preferably provided witi hookswhich engage one end of the springs M. The hanger members N, whichconnect the intermediate levers E to the s rings M and M', are eachpreferably provide with hooked ends, which engage one end of the s ringand the opposite end engages a note ied or cut-out portion e, Fig. 4.-,which prevents the hangers from becoming T he hanger members N, whichconnect the auxiliary levers E2 to the springs M are each preferablyrovided with a hook which engages eyes X, formed upon the endsof theauxiliary levers E2. The hangers which connect the primary lever E andthe auxiliary levers E'l with the springs are of greater length than theintermediate levers connecting said springs with the intermediate leverE. The springs M2, which engage the saddle M3 of the rear pony-truck ortrailer, are each provided with an eye M,

which is secured to the frame beneath the cab G by any suitablemeans-as, forinstance, the plate M5. The front end of each of thesprings M2 is connected to the rear end of the levers E2 by acomparatively short hanger lnember in the same manner as the forwardends of said levers E'l are connected to the springs M.

By forcinfy the rear end of the auxiliary levers E2 and the forward endof the primary lever E upward nearly all of the weight which issupported upon the front and rear ponytrucks D will be lifted olf of thesame and placed upon the drive-wheels. While different means Inay beemployed for swinging the primary and auxiliary levers for lacingapproximately all of the weight on tlie drive-wheels, I have preferablyillustrated steam-actuated means for accomplishing this result.

The steamactuated means for swinging the levers colnprises, preferably,cylinders A, carried upon the frame byany suitable means one beingpreferably secured near the front of the frame in a manner hereinafterspecified and the other secured to the frame contiguous to the cab andrear end of the boiler. As each of these cylinders and their coactingarts are of substantially the same structure, 1t will be unnecessary tospecifically describe more than one, although a slight difference isinvolved in constructing the rear cylinder A and its coacting partswhich will be mentioned hereinafter. Rererring particularly to thefront-lever-actuatinfr means, it comprises a eylinderA, within whici isslidably mounted a piston A', which is provided with suitable packingsecured upon its outer edge. The cylinderA is placed upon a base-plateA2, which rests upon the metallic flat,transverse late H, suported bythetransverse beam J2e the frame A sleeve C is ositioned within theaperture formed in the earn J2. The plate H is provided with an apertureregistering with the sleeve C. A removable kin -bolt B, constituting apiston-rod, is secure to the piston A. This piston-rod B is providedwith a hook formed upon its lower end which engages the recessed orcutout portion e formed upon the front end of the primary lever E. Thesaddle J of the front ponytruck is provided with a cut-out or socketportion, within which is seated a hollow box or sleeve K, constituting asupport. The piston-rod B is threaded intermediate its lenffth andcarries a nut L, which is adapted to )ear upon the box K when theweight, which is resting upon the pony-truck, is not lifted off thesame. The base-plate A2 is provided with a gland for preventing of steamescaping from the cylinder A around the piston-rod B. Steam may bedischarged into the cylinder A through the inleti e F for moving thepiston A upward and lgiftling the forward end of the primary lever E,through the medium of the piston-rod B. An airduct or port is formedupon the upper ortion of the casing of the cylinder A, in whic i ispositioned an escape-pipe If it is desired, a suitable exhaust may beformed upon the cylinder A, or, in the present instance, the i e Fpreferably constitutes not only the 1n et but also the outlet. cylinderA, the piston-rod B extends through that portion in the case of theforward cylinder which is provided with the air-duct. In other words,the ositions of the cylinders are reversed. Tie piston B of the rearcylinder is connected to a horizontal bar or rod O. The rod O is securedto the auxiliary levers E2 intermediate the rod R and the rear ends.Steam is supplied to the rear cylinder A in the same manner as it issupplied to `the front cylinder. The steam is referably su pliedsynchronously to all of tfie cylinders or actuating the rimary andauxiliary levers at the same time for shifting the weight simultaneouslyoff of the pony-trucks onto the drive-wheels.

The tracks upon which an engine is running are sometimes rough, becausethe connection of the rails are 1n many cases so arranged that one endof a rail is raised a little above the adjoining end of another rail, asdepicted at S, Fig. 1, and in such an instance if an engine is runnin ata slow speed or attempting to pull a eavy load and strike such a placeit is under ordinary conditions thrown off i ts balance and the weightchanges, also on a wet or slippery rail and in starting heavy trains orin running slow around heavy curves, where elevation of the track throwsthe engine out of proper balance and any other condition that causesengines to sli This undesirable shifting of the wei ht-ba ance isovercome by my invention, or it is possible to hug the track closely, sothat a )ar from the front or rear will not throw it In the constructionof the rear IOO IIO

front and Vrear by said drive-w eel trucks, of a boiler carried Y massofrom its balance. The more wei lit that can be thrown upon the driversthe ess said engine is apt to slip.

It is to be noted that this invention is not intended to raise theengine or boiler, but merely the weight that rests upon the ponytruclrs,which in the type of engine depicted in Fig. l comprises two in number.Each of these pony-trucks comprises an axle, a pair of wheels, boxing,and a saddle. The drivingtrucks are also preferably constructedsimilarly to the orly-trucks. 'llie rear pony-truck is commonlpdesignated as the trailer.

While I iave specifically described in the foregoinpr descriptionsteam-actuated means for manipulating the levers and hangers, this seciic means is not absolutely necessary or accomplishing tbe result forwhich they are employed, as other means may be used for swinging theprimary and auxiliary levers. O

l. The combination with drive-wheel trucks, front and rear muy-trucks, aframe supported upon said rive-wheel trucks, a boiler carried by saidframe, of a depending standard secured near tbe front end of Vsaidboiler, a main lever pivotally mounted upon said standard, an auxiliarylever pivotally mounted upon said boiler orframe, an intermediate leverpivotally mounted upon said frame, parallel springs mounted upon saiddrive-Wheel trucks and rear pony-truck,

means connecting said levers to said springs, Y and means for swingingthe outer end Vof ,sindV ,Y

primary and auxiliary levers upward and thereby lifting weight oil' ofsaid pony-truoks- 2. ln a mechanism of the class described. thecombination with drive-wheel trucks, and onytrueks, a frame carried bysaidrframe, said boiler rovided with a de ending standard forme near itsfront eng, a primary lever pivotally mounted upon said standard,auxiliary levers pivotally mounted upon said boiler or frame near itsrear end, intermediateV levers pivotally mounted upon said frame betweensaid drivewheel trucks, parallel springs positioned upon saiddrive-wheel trucks and the rear pony truck, means connecting the springscarried by the rear pony-truck to the frame, han ers connecting saidlevers to said springs, cy inders carried by said frame near the frontand rear ends, pistons mounted Within said cylinders, means connectingsaid pistons to the outer ends of said levers, said pistons beingcapable of moving within said cylinders for swmping said levers andthereby removing weig it off of said pony-trucks and placing it upon thedrive-wheel trucks. A

3, In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with adrive-wheel truck, a front and a rear orly-truck, a frame supported uponsaid rive-wheel truck, a boiler carried by said frame, of a primary andauxiliary levers pivotally mounted upon said boiler or frame, means engain said drivewheel truck and connecting ne levers, a cylinder carried bysaid frame above said front pony-truck, aY piston positioned within saidcylinders, said front pony-truck providedV with a saddle, a pistonrodextending through said saddle and secured to said piston, a membercarried by said piston-rod and normally bearing against said saddle forsupn porting the weight carried by said ponytruck, and means forsynchronously swingn ing the rear ends of the auxiliary levers u wardwhen said piston is moved within t ie cylinder for lifting the front endof the primary lever upward.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with adrivewl1eel truck, front and rear pony-trucks, a frame positioned abovethe axles of said trucks, a boiler positioned above said frame, of asaddle liavmg a recess carried by said front pony-truck, springs carriedby said trucks, levers and hangers connectino' said springs, apiston-rod extending throng i the saddle ofthe front pony-truck andconnected to one of said levers, said piston-rod rovided with asupporting member, an adii ried by said istbn-rod and normally inengagement wit i said supportinrr member, said member normally restingin tl-ie recess of the saddle,V a cylinder provided with a pistonpositioned above said front pony-truck, said piston connected to saidpiston-rod, a cylinder positioned near the rear pon`y-truek, a pistonpositioned Within said last-mentioned cylinder, and a piston-rodconnected to said piston and the levers contiguous to said rearpony-truck.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination withdrive-wheel trucks,

ustable member esrfront and rear pony-trucks, a `frame posi-VY IIOsecured to said boiler near its front end, Y

springs ipositioned upon said trucks, means connectmv the springscarried by said rear ponv-true. at one end to said frame, intermediatelevers ulcrumed upon said frame between said drive-wheel trucks, aprimary lever ulcrumed upon said standard, auxiliary levers fulerurnedupon said boiler or frame between the rear pony-truck and one of saiddrive-wheel trucks, a cylinder secured to said frame contiguous to saidrear pony-truck, a piston provided with a piston-rod, positioned withinsaid cylinder, said piston-rod connect ed to said auxiliar levers saidfront ponytruol provided wit a saddle, said trarne provided eitii atransverse beam above said saddie, a flat, metallic plate secured n onsaid baarn, said plate and beam provi ed witi1 registering apertures, asleeve positioned Within the aperture of said beam, a cylinder 4 clasespositioned above said late, a base-plate interposed between said atplate and cylinder, said cylinder provided with inlets and outlets, apiston positioned within said cylinder, a piston-rod rovided with athreaded por tion intermedlate its ends, and with a hooked lower end,said piston-rod connected to said piston, said primary lever providedwith a recess, the hooked lower end of said pistonrod connected to saidprimary lever and engaging its recessed portion, a hollow box positlonedupon said piston-rod and normally engaging the recessed portion of saidsaddle, and an adjustable member threaded upon said rod and normallybearing upon said hollow box.

6. The combination with front and rear pony-trucks, a drive-wheel truckbetween said front and rear pony-trucks, a frame supported upon saiddrive-wheel truck, a boiler positioned above said frame, of movablememers supported upon said frame: and in engagement with saiddrive-wheel and rear ponytruck, means carried by said frame andconnected to said movable member contig"uous to said rear pony-truck formoving the member, a cylinder provided with a piston, carried by saidframe contiguous to said front ony-truck, a piston-rod provided with ahoo connected to said piston, said pistonrod connected to said movablemembers, and means carried by said piston-rod and engaging said frontpony-truck for normally supporting the weight upon said pony-truck.

7. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with apony-truck, of a saddle carried by said pony-truck, a frame positionedabove said saddle, a cylinder carried by said frame, a piston positionedwithin said cylinder, a piston-rod connected to said piston andextending through said saddle, a ever in engagement with said piston-rodand adapted to press upon said saddle and capable of being moved, whensaid piston-rod is actuated for moving said lever, and thereby liftingweight off of said saddle.

8. A mechanism of the class described, the combination with a ponytruckprovided with a saddle, a piston-rod extending through said saddle, alever connected to said pistonrod, a member, constituting a stop,positioned upon said piston-rod, a box interposed between said stop andsaddle, and capable of bein engaged by said stop for supportin WeigIit,and means for moving said piston-rod and lever and thereby liftingweight ofi of said saddle.

9. A lever-actuating device for a tractionincreasing mechanism,comprising at saddle, a frame carried contiguous to'said saddle, acylinder carried by sald frame, a pistonpositioned within said cylinder,a iston-rod slidably mounted upon said saddle and fixedly secured tosaid piston, an adjustable member threaded upon said piston-rod, a boxpositioned upon said iston-rod between said saddle and adjusta lemember, and a lever supported upon the outer end of said pistonro 10. Ina mechanismof the classl described, the combination of a pony-truckprovided with a saddle, a frame positioned above said saddle, avertically-movable member` connecting said saddle and frame, meansconnected to said movable member and-normally pressing down upon saidsaddle for support` ing weirrht, and means for moving said member forIiting weight ofi of said saddle.

11. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with apony-truck and a frame, of a slidable rod connecting said ponytruck andframe, a member, constitutin a stop, carried by said rod, a stationarymem er positioned upon said rod between said stop and pony-truck, thestop normally ressing upon said stationary member an ponytruck, andmeans for moving said rod and thereby lifting weight o of saidpony-truck.

12. In a mechanism of the class described, tbe combination with drivewheel trucks, front and rear ponytrucks, a frame positioned upon theaxle of said front truck, a boiler positioned abovesaid-frame, ofastandard secured to said boiler near' one end, springs positioned uponsaid trucks, means connecting one end of one of the springs to saidframe, an intermediate lever fulcrumed upon said frame, between saiddrive-wheel trucks, a primary lever fulcrumed upon said standard, anauxiliary lever ulcrumed upon said boiler and frame between the rearponytruck and one of said drive-wheel trucks, means connecting all ofsaid levers andi springs, a cylinder provided with a Lpiston carried bysaid frame 'contiguous to sai f'ront pony-truck, and av piston-rodconnected to said piston, said piston-rod extending through a portion ofsaid front pony-truck and con neeted at its lower end to said primarylever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED L. S'HELDON.

Witnesses:

EMIL U. STENBERG, R. H. LUN-D.

IOO

